Colony Ridge boss hobnobbed with Gov. Abbott, who helped development receive key federal designation: Report

A new report from the Daily Wire reveals that Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott had a hand in making Colony Ridge, the controversial Texas development area, a designated Opportunity Zone after rubbing elbows with a Colony Ridge executive.

The Opportunity Zone program, created early in President Donald Trump's first term, helps encourage private funding for low-income areas by offering enticing tax incentives to investors. Five years after an initial investment in an Opportunity Zone, a portion of the capital gains earned on the investment can be exempted from taxes. After 10 years, all capital gains are tax-exempt, the Daily Wire explained.

According to documents acquired by the Daily Wire through public information requests, Abbott sent a letter to then-Treasury Sec. Steven Mnuchin on March 21, 2018, asking the Treasury Department to consider designating the census tract that includes Colony Ridge an Opportunity Zone.

On April 6, 2018, Abbott sent a second letter on the topic, and by April 10, he had sent a third letter.

'There is no evidence to suggest Abbott was aware of the Colony Ridge business model.'

By happenstance, William "Trey" Harris, a co-owner of Colony Ridge, and state Sen. Brandon Creighton (R) had attended a luncheon at the governor's mansion on April 4, about two weeks after Abbott's first letter and just two days before his second letter.

Harris and Abbott have not commented on the conversation during that luncheon, and Creighton could only recall to the Daily Wire discussions about "the history of the grounds" of the mansion and "the property and the home itself."

However, by July 2018, the IRS had approved the Colony Ridge census tract to be considered an Opportunity Zone, just a couple of weeks after Trey Harris made his first direct donation — a cool $100,000 or so — to Abbott's campaign coffers. His wife, Celeste Harris, had already donated a similar amount on March 19, two days before Abbott sent the first letter.

Trey Harris made multiple appearances at the governor's mansion in 2018. He attended a "summer kickoff fiesta" in May as well as a reception in December.

All told, Mr. and Mrs. Harris contributed approximately $1.5 million to Abbott between 2018 and 2022, good enough to make Trey Harris Abbott's 15th highest individual donor, the Daily Wire said.

Despite these connections, Abbott denied that Harris alone prompted him to advocate on behalf of the Colony Ridge-area census tract. Other individuals likewise hoped for the Opportunity Zone tag, spokesman Andrew Mahaleris told the Daily Wire.

Moreover, the Opportunity Zone designation "did not create" the problems at the Colony Ridge development, Mahaleris added. "Governor Abbott is ensuring safety there and across the state," he continued. "Governor Abbott directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to investigate any potential environmental issues in Colony Ridge, whether it be air, water, or land."

The Daily Wire noted that "there is no evidence to suggest Abbott was aware of the Colony Ridge business model, which openly targets immigrant populations." Still, the development has highlighted its Opportunity Zone designation — brought about in part by Abbott — in multiple ad campaigns.

A Colony Ridge representative declined a request for comment from the Daily Wire.

'He’s a politician; it is what it is. He’s got to cover his butt first.'

Dubbed "the world's largest trailer park," Colony Ridge has made national headlines in recent years after residents — many of whom are in the U.S. illegally — began complaining about inadequate infrastructure, fetid water, crumbling roads, and rampant crime, as Blaze News previously reported.

In February, federal law enforcement agents raided the area, nabbing 118 individuals who were either suspected or convicted of heinous crimes, including murder and child sexual abuse. Many of the arrestees were also illegal aliens.

At the time, Abbott celebrated news of the raid, claiming he and border czar Tom Homan had been planning it "for months."

Spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris indicated to the Daily Wire that Abbott will continue to help federal, state, and local officers enforce the law in Colony Ridge.

"These teams will coordinate with Homeland Security agencies to track down the thousands of illegal immigrants with active warrants across Texas and deport them from our country," Mahaleris said.

Abbott has attempted to distance himself from Colony Ridge, and Trey Harris has since apparently withdrawn his financial support.

"He’s a politician; it is what it is. He’s got to cover his butt first," Harris told the New York Times in 2023. "But don’t expect a million dollars next year. It ain’t happening again, brother."

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